


Abnormal World

by NothingButRed, SoloShadowling



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, my first au, thank you co-creator to make this little dream come true
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28200264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NothingButRed/pseuds/NothingButRed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloShadowling/pseuds/SoloShadowling
Summary: The decaying forest and the disgusting smell.This isn't the Nether... I need to get backQuickly
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Abnormal World

The glossy blue blade practically sparkled in the sunlight, as it was freshly sharpened, cleaned, and polished. Its edges looked sharp enough to cut paper cleanly, strong enough to bite through bone. Something necessary in the world they lived in. 

Holding the sword was a tall young man decked out in a silvery chestplate and boots, which looked a bit older with its various scratches and dents. Dirty blond hair, borderline brown, stuck up at odd angles as if he’d just woken up.

But that’d be ridiculous-who in their right mind would sharpen their weapon first thing in the morning? 

A man determined to go to a dangerous and hellish place, that’s who. 

The sun’s rays were gentle as it streamed through the leaves, caressing everything it touched, but promising heat for a lovely day. Birds chirped their good mornings, flitting from tree to tree. Smaller creatures yawned and stretched, waking up to start their days doing whatever critters do. 

The man dragged a hand along the blade, a light sound being drawn from it. He was satisfied with his work, a small grin gracing his features. If one could see his eyes, they’d be captivated by the sheer green of them, sparkling like gems. Unfortunately, they couldn’t; a simple, white circular mask sat over his face, decorated by a crudely drawn smiley face. 

No one quite knew where it came from or how he could actually see out of it, but it was comfortable. 

He weighed the blade in his hand before sheathing it and getting up from the dew damp ground. The man brushed off his pants and adjusted his mask, soon walking towards the dirt and gravel path that ran through the forest. Ground crunched beneath his boots, a rhythmic whitenoise as he made his way to his destination. 

The man, ‘Dream’ his name was, idly checked his inventory, making sure he had everything he could need for his trip. 

. . .

After a few minutes of walking, the sound of giggling and excited whispers broke nature’s silence. Dream paused to listen then smirked as he went to investigate. Without a doubt, he knew who the mischievous culprits were. 

Silently, like a predator seeking prey, he stalked towards the area where the sounds were coming from. Tufts of blond and brown came into view, barely above the rich green foliage, bouncing as giggles shuddered the young boys’ bodies. Both of them had pale skin and blue eyes shining with mirth as they schemed in what they thought was a private spot. Dream could spot what looked like a roughly drawn map of the village and the surrounding forest. 

Tommy, the blond one, was somehow speaking both animatedly and hushed at the same time, pointing to various areas and dragging his finger across the wrinkled paper. His brunet friend, Tubbo, nodded along eagerly, making comments which Tommy seemed to brush off or ignore, but he was secretly taking them into account. They were in their own little bubble… Perfectly unaware... 

Dream took care in making sure his steps were even more silent, to the point where some would question if they were even touching the ground. To be on their level, the man lowered himself into a crouch. He was only inches away from the two, waiting in a tense stance; waiting for the perfect moment to strike.  
“And then we-!”

_Now._

“RAHH!” Dream yelled, leaping out towards the boys, stopping centimeters away from tackling them. The duo screamed and shrieked, Tommy flailing to the ground in a weak attempt to fend off the monster. Tubbo clutched the grass, eyes wide and chest heaving before he recognized the masked man in front of them.

The boy put a hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart, body shaking slightly. His breathing was shallow, and the man almost felt bad for scaring him. Tubbo gulped, trying to take measured breathes. 

After a few moments, he cracked a small, almost tired looking, smile. “Dr-Dream, how are you? What are you doing out here?”

“YOU FUCKING, GREEN BITCH!” Tommy scolded as he quickly sat up, hair mussed up by his fall. “Don’t do that, you creepy ass stalker; I coulda stabbed you.” 

Dream scoffed, patting Tommy’s head in a condescending manner, “Right. I’m sure you would have most definitely hit me if you knew I was there.”

“Bitch.” Tommy muttered with a glare, whacking Dream’s hand away before dusting off his shirt and fixing his hair.

“Anyways, I’m well, Tubbo.” He gave the boy a kind smile. “I was just heading to town to the portal. Needed some quartz for my base, plus I was thinking about finding some Netherite.”

Tubbo lit up at the mention of the Nether, “Oh! If you happen to see any Blazes, could you get me some of their rods? We need it for making drugs!” 

Dream frowned slightly, glancing at Tommy who was pointedly ignoring the green man’s presence, a scowl on the young boy’s face. Tommy and Tubbo were cool, and he would never think of separating the duo, but he couldn’t help but think Tommy wasn’t the best influence for Tubbo to have in his life. 

Nonetheless, he turned back towards Tubbo and nodded, “Sure. I’ll see what I can do.” 

Tommy and Tubbo are quite possibly one of the most inseparable duos he knows (even before Bad and Skeppy). They’re always plotting or playing or doing something together, and Dream can’t help but think of them as his little brothers. And as brotherly relationships go, he felt free to tease and bug the two as much as he wanted.

And by ‘the two’, he really just meant Tommy. 

“You know, pretending I’m not here isn’t going to get rid of me.” Dream looked at Tommy with a smirk. He had to watch himself with how far he went with teasing the boy though.  
If Tommy’s actual brothers found out he was being bullied, Dream would have to partake in an unplanned Manhunt just to escape their fury. 

“Maybe it will if I try hard enough.” The blond boy didn’t even look in his direction, putting away his map in a brown leather bag he hadn’t noticed before. 

“Well, you’re doing a bad job at it,” The man stood slowly, “But I wish you luck in that.”

“Asshole.” Tommy muttered once more, waving him away. “Don’t you have to go to the Nether or something?”

Dream playfully shook his head and rolled his eyes. “See you two later.”

“Sure.” 

“Bye, Dream!” Tubbo waved after him. That boy was just too pure and nice for this world.

. . .

Dream knew he was close to emerging from the woods when the gravel path turned to oak planks. The rough, flat surface didn’t offer the same crunch (obviously), which was a little disappointing; but he was here to get to the portal, not listen to himself walk. 

Small structures popped up on either side of the path. Most of the smaller ones were made out of cobblestone and natural materials, but the larger ones were colored concrete, resembling some of the town’s occupants. If he remembered correctly, Bad had made the larger ones. Why? Boredom, probably.  
Speaking of which…

“GEPPY! STOP IT!”

The blond couldn’t help but wince at the shrill screech. An obnoxious giggle followed after it.

“Then let me see!” Another voice playfully whined; Dream could practically hear his smirk. 

Walking further along the path, he finally saw the chaotic duo. Bad was trying his best to push Skeppy away from (what seemed to be) a large box made of sand. An odd project but they were odd people. 

“No!” Bad tried pushing the dark haired, tan boy away again, albeit it to no avail. “It’s a surprise!”

“But I wanna see what it is!”

“No!”

On the wooden path, Dream stood there awkwardly, unsure if he should intervene or let the two continue going at it. However, the choice was soon made for him.  
Bad looked around Skeppy, about to point him away to retrieve flowers or something else he didn’t really need, when he spotted the tall man, clad in lime green, watching them with unease.

His annoyed and frantic stance melted in an instance (Dream still wasn’t sure how he could do that). The older man waved at him, green-grey eyes sparkling behind thin wire frames glasses. “Hi Dream!”

Skeppy turned his head, looking over his shoulder with an amused smile. “Sup.”

“Hey guys.” Dream stuck his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, “What’s up with the sand block?”

“It’s a surprise! I needed something to cover it though.” Bad explained, “But this muffinhead,” he gave the brown eyed boy in his grip a small glare accompanied by a shake, “won’t be patient and let me finish!” 

Skeppy only snickered, not helping sell his supposed innocence. 

The man on the path looked to the sky, checking the light level. He wasn’t running late yet, but if he stayed to watch this play out, he most definitely would be. 

“Well, I gotta go, guys. I need to get to the portal, preferably before noon.” Dream offered the duo a half-hearted, apologetic smile.

“Oh, then good luck, Dream! Stay safe!” Bad grinned. The man in cyan offered his own wave in farewell. 

And as he walked away, the pseudo-couple went back to their loud bickering. Anyone within the area could hear them.

“I said no, Skeppy... What are you doing with that?” The younger’s giggles were faint. “SKEPPY NO!”

Dream may have picked up his pace. He did not want to be involved with whatever was about to go down between those two.

. . .

Only a few minutes later, the wooden path brought him into view of the small ‘village’. It wasn’t a proper village; him and his friends being the only ones residing there and consisting of about ten buildings. 

Most of the homes were made of cobblestone and oak, but a select few were decorated with more unique materials, like quartz and netherrack. 

The bulk of the buildings were gathered around the path, well lit in order to keep the mobs away. Plus, having buildings so close together meant that they could hear when something was wrong and the others could rush in to help. That didn’t keep people from expanding though. Many of the occupants had their own bases (both secret and not-so-secret) scattered throughout the land; some had more than one. 

To his right, Dream spotted the memorable pink of his friendly rival, working his scarily large potato field. At least everyone could rest assured that they wouldn’t run out of potatoes any time soon...

A man in a mustard yellow sweater and brick red beanie leaned against the fence, watching his brother while idly chatting on and on about something. Dream had arrived a little too late to know what about, but it was possibly about song lyrics. 

In the field, Techno had pulled his hair into a messy bun. Sweat glistened upon his skin, the sleeves of his white blouse rolled up to his elbows. He didn’t seem to actually be listening to whatever Wilbur was saying, only chiming in with a grunt here and there to make it look like he was. 

(Little did anyone know that he took in every word his brother said and could probably repeat it to another person if he cared enough to.)

Next to the field was a large, two story house, big enough for the family who resided there. Dream saw flashes of green and white walk past the windows. 

“And that’s why-oh, hey Dream.” Wilbur cut his explanation short to greet him. Techno looked up from his work to give the man a curt nod before continuing to till the soil. 

“Hey.” Dream threw a wary glance at Technoblade, “Do you ever take a break from that? You farm like you’re expecting a great famine or something. And I’m not even sure that can happen here.”

The pink haired man scoffed, yet he did not look up, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Well, if a famine does occur, I will be living comfortably and I won’t be sharing with you.”

“Don’t worry, I’d share with you, Dreamie.” Wilbur grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. The addressed man could only wheeze at the nickname.

Before he could get another word in, Philza poked his head through the open door. “Have you seen Tommy? Or Tubbo?” 

The man nodded, “Yeah. They were playing out in the woods. I saw them while I was walking through.”

“Ah, good then,” The blond nodded, “Thank you.”

There wasn’t much more that needed to be said, and soon enough, Dream was back to walking the path, a rhythmic pace to his steps. 

. . .

The portal was located roughly at the end of the path, leading into the forest on the other side of the village. One would need to step off the wood for a little bit and turn left, but the structure was hard to miss. Some of the inhabitants had looked at its simple structure and decided that it was bland. People then decorated the frame with stone bricks, gold, black stone, and vines, giving the portal a mystical vibe; as if it had been pulled from some fantasy world. 

But, to be quite honest, it might as well have.

The special thing about these portals was that they lead to a dangerous, and often fatal, dimension known to all as ‘the Nether’. It was hell.

The Nether was boiling hot, to the point that water could not safely exist without evaporating on the spot. You also couldn’t sleep in the Nether, as many had found out. There had been a few incidences of beds exploding and multiple grave injuries before they finally got the hint. 

Huddled in a trio, chatting away with each other, Dream spotted the familiar faces of Fundy, Eret, and Niki. He was embarrassed to admit that he didn’t talk to them as much as the others, but they were considered friends.

Dream checked the sun. Maybe he had a little time to kill.

“What’re you guys up to?”

The orange haired, fox hybrid looked up from a long parchment he was holding. “Oh, hey Dream.”

Eret and Niki looked up as well; Niki’s smile was as bright as a meadow of dandelions, while Eret’s was smaller but just as friendly. The young woman offered him a cheerful wave, greeting him. “Hi Dream!”

He politely returned the wave. 

“What are you guys planning?” The masked man leaned towards their paper, trying to read the faint scribbles. 

A squarish sketch sat in the center, marked up by cursive notes and numbers. Simple shapes fit inside the area, creating the layout of what seemed to be some sort of shop. There were a few splashes of color here and there to separate some of the parts.

“It’s the layout of Niki’s bakery. She asked us to help decorate so we made a blueprint.” Fundy pointed to the aforementioned paper.

Dream nodded; “Yeah, I see.”

“Do you want to help us?” Eret’s low voice rumbled, a brow quirked. His pale eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses, and a golden bejeweled crown sat atop his head. Similar to  
Technoblade’s usual attire, Eret looked like royalty. 

“Uh, maybe later, when I get back.” Dream glanced at the sun. He really needed a watch or something; looking at the sun this much was surely not good for his eyes. 

“Oh. Nether trip?”

“Yep.”

“Well, best be on your way then.” The man suggested, which Dream accepted with a nod.

“Bye Dream!” Fundy waved.

“Good luck, stay safe!” Niki copied the motion. The three watched the man walk off before turning back to their discussion. 

. . .

Dream was only a couple minutes away from the portal when he met up with his fellow adventurers. 

“Dream! You finally showed up!” Two men, both shorter than him, stood at the entrance of the woods.

The shortest, a brunette with clout goggles and a blue shirt, grinned at his friend. His words were tinged with an accent similar to most of the people in the village. “We were beginning to think you got lost or something.” 

“Pfft, you wish, George.” Dream smirked, the now trio beginning their final trek to the portal. “Anything new?”

“Since yesterday? Nope.” The youngest, an olive skinned man with raven hair pulled back by a bandana and a white shirt, answered with a shrug. “I finished setting up a new tank for Mars. It’s a bit roomier now so he can have some friends.” 

“Unlike you.” George snickered slightly, earning an indignant scoff from Sapnap and a small chuckle from Dream. 

“So what does that make you, huh?” 

“The person you keep bothering in the middle of the night when you’re too scared of the dark.” George could barely contain his childish grin. The blond man wheezed as his friend made offended squawks, trying to find something that would save his dignity.

“Yeah? Well-! You-!” He grit his teeth before spitting out a: “Fuck you.”

His friend continued to laugh, the sounds echoing throughout the empty woods. 

Soon enough, the portal came into view with all it’s awesome glory. It towered above the group of adventurers, almost intimidating with its eerie purple glow. Travelers from before had made a small lean-to, covering some chests. The chests were there in case they were carrying items that they didn’t want to lose in the Nether. 

Dream checked his inventory, double checking the durability on his axe and armor. His friends took a moment to do the same, throwing some less useful stuff into a chest. The man glanced at the portal, pausing.

_Something was off..._

“Hey guys?” The masked man’s voice brought the other two to attention, “I think there’s something wrong with the portal…”

He stared into the hypnotising swirls, the feeling of wrongness further increasing, creeping up his spine in chills. George and Sapnap looked to the portal in concern, the brunette tilting his head.

“I don’t feel anything wrong…” George sounded mildly confused before he stepped closer, placing a hand on his taller friend’s shoulder, making him jump slightly and break his gaze. “Hey, it’s probably just nerves.” 

“Nothing to be afraid of, dude,” Sapnap stepped up to his other side, bumping him with a warm grin; “We do this, like, everyday.”

“I-” Dream couldn’t shake the feeling, but he managed to quell it with the excuse of nerves. They say you should trust your gut, but… “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

The ravenette clapped his other shoulder, “I know I am. Now let’s get this bread!” 

“You’re lucky you’ve lived this far, Sapnap.” George rolled his eyes, leaving his friend’s side and moving towards the portal.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!” He charged towards the eldest, diamond sword in hand. George stuck out his tongue.

“You know exactly what it means, idiot.” 

Dream couldn’t help but laugh at his friends’ antics, easing his worry. Sapnap was close enough to George, trying to put the shorter in some sort of headlock, which he was successfully avoiding. 

The feeling returned with his friends on the threshold of the portal. “Hey guys-.”

The brunette jumped into the portal, evading capture, making the other jump in quickly after, his laugh cutting off mid-sound, and then he was alone. 

His stomach dropped, heart clenching. 

_Don’t worry, Dream; they’re probably fine. It’s just nerves, right? Just nerves. But what if it wasn’t? What if they’re dead? Should he jump in? What if something happened to them? He could have stopped it- Maybe if he-_

“Dream, you okay?” George’s head popped through the portal, concern for his friend evident on his face. 

His panic began to settle. George was fine, Sapnap was fine, they were both fine. “I, uh, yeah…”

His friend huffed a laugh, “Well, are you coming or not?”

The blond only nodded distractedly, glancing towards the woods. George gave him a kind, reassuring smile before he disappeared behind the wall of purple once more. Dream took another moment to collect himself, scanning over the things in his inventory once more.

He took a deep breath. Everything is okay, everything is fine; it’s all just in your head. He stepped forward, into the portal, the feeling of weightlessness taking over.

As his last limb went through the portal, the swirling purple that flooded his vision almost seemed to glitch, moving between the deep purple to some sort of ugly, dirty yellow. Alarm shot through his body, but it would be too late.

Like a rock had been dropped on it, Dream’s head pounded, almost sending him spiralling to the ground. He grit his teeth, moving forward nonetheless.  
The portal spat him out, the man stumbling and nearly falling to his knees. He held his head in his hands, massaging his temples. The pressure in his skull slowly alleviated as the colors of the portal faded away to dull browns and yellows. 

Dream blinked.

The landscape was practically devoid of any and all life. Trees stood barren and weak, creaking and groaning in a sharp, dry wind. The grass was frail and looked like it would flake off at the merest touch. The sky looked no better, a cloudy grey that threatened rain but obviously wouldn’t follow through. 

Decay and rot was heavy in the air, almost stifling to the point that Dream would have lost his breakfast. He really didn’t want to know why it smelled like that.  
But, from these observations only, it was clear enough to him:

_This wasn’t the Nether..._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it!  
> Stay tuned because the real adventure will begin soon for our little Dream,, :)


End file.
